Having learned from our spontaneous and unplanned mountain treks in the past (when we’d climb with only Toblerons and Hersheys and Selecta’s Very Rocky Road Coffee Crumble on our backpack), this time, Elmo and I made it sure that we’re all filled and prepared before the ascent. So we drank 5000 mg of Ascorbic Acids, we had ouselves injected with cholera, malaria, tetanus, and hepa-A, B, C, D, E, F, G vaccines. We brought bawangs and holy water to ward off the evil spirits and evil elementals. We applied sunblock on 95% of our bodies. We ate imported instant seafood noodles and french pandesals for breakfast. We brought imported and expensive sardines, you know, the types of sardines that only the SEOs of Fortune 5 could afford…
Kababata at kaibigan ko si Alvin. Magkatabi ang bakuran namin sa aming hometown na Puncan (o Vector Zero sa mapa ng mga Romulans). Malapit ang aming mga pamilya, kasi naman, ang mama niya at si nanay ay mag-bestfriend na noong dalaga pa sila. Palagi nga kaming may sleep-in sa kanila nung bata pa ako pag nagkayayaan sila nanay na magluto ng kakanin, o simpleng magkakuwentuhan lang. Pag lumuluwas rin kami ng Maynila noon, parati kaming tumutuloy sa kanila sa Tayuman. Nung namatay si nanay, naputol yung mga bonding activities ng aming mga pamilya.